"In curing, we are trying to get somewhere, we are looking for answers. In curing, our efforts are specifically designed to make something happen. In healing, we live questions instead of answers. We hang out in the unknown. We trust the emergence of whatever will be. We trust the insight will come. The challenge in medicine is not the choice between one and the other. We need both."
-Dr. Paul Epstein, ND

Weekly Health Tip

Cold and Flu Season Preventative

By our Clinical Herbalist and Aromatherapist Marija Helt, PhD

My favorite herbal formula for cold and flu preventative. I use this blend at the first sign of illness, when exposed to someone with a cold and when flying. In this latter case, I take the herbs the day before travel, the day of and for a day or 2 afterwards. The formula varies a bit, depending on what I have on hand. It can be easily put together using commercial tinctures. I'll take a squirt every half hour if I feel an infection coming on, or 4 or so times a day if exposed to someone sick or if traveling. The blend can also be done as a tea, in which case I brew a quart and sip it all day.

Cold & Flu Blend
1 part Elderberry or flower
1 part Echinacea or Mallow
1 part Thyme or Oregano